DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FISHERIES 

HUGH M. SMITH, Commissioner 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES: A SOURCE OF 
MEAT SUPPLY 



By H. WALTON CLARK 

Scientific Assistant 
AND 

JOHN B. SOUTHALL 

Skell Expert, 17. 5. Fisheries Biological Station, Fairport, Iowa 



APPENDIX VII TO THE REPORT OF THE U. S. COMMISSIONER 
OF FISHERIES FOR 1919 




Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 889 



PRICE, 10 CENTS 

Sold only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office 

Washington, D. C. 

WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1920 



Monograph 



DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

BUREAU OF FISHERIES 

HUGH M. SMITH, Commissioner 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES: A SOURCE OF 
MEAT SUPPLY 



By H. WALTON CLARK 

Scientific Assistant 
AND 

JOHN B. SOUTHALL 

Shell Expert, U. S. Fisheries Biological Station, Fairport, Iowa 



Appendix VII to the Report of the U. s. commissioner 
of Fisheries for 1919 




Bureau of Fisheries Document No. 889 



PRICE, 10 CENTS 

Sold only by the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office 

Washington, D. C. 



WASHINGTON 
GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 

1920 






3«V 



CONTENTS. 



Page. 

Introduction 3 

The snapping turtle 3 

Distribution and habits 3 

Seasons and methods of capture L 4 

Shipment and storage 6 

Sources of supply 7 

Market conditions and prices 7 

Proportion of waste 8 

Quality of flesh 9 

The alligator snapper 11 

The fresh-water terrapins 12 

Commercial significance 12 

Methods of capture 14 

Shipment, storage, and marketing 15 

The soft-shell turtles L__ 15 

Commercial significance 15 

Methods of capture 16 

Shipment 17 

Enemies of turtles 17 

Preparation of turtles for the table . 18 

Killing the turtle is 

Recipes 18 

Soups . 19 

Fried turtle 19 

Miscellaneous 20 

2 



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AUG , .,£ 41920 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES: A SOURCE OF MEAT SUPPLY. 



By H. Walton Clark, Scientific Assistant, and John K. Southall, Shell 
Expert, Fisheries Biological Station, Fairport, Iowa. 



INTRODUCTION. 

Among- the aquatic food resources of the United States to which 
but little attention has as yet been given are the several species of 
edible turtles and terrapins of the rivers and lakes. One species 
of turtle, the famous and much-sought-after diamond-back terra- 
pin, has indeed long been utilized to the fullest extent consistent 
with the preservation of the species ; and in recent years its propaga- 
tion on privately controlled farms has been inaugurated. The green 
turtle of the sea has also for a long time been so generally esteemed 
and extensively fished as to have been brought into actual danger 
of extinction. It is worthy of note that, while these two species 
have been regarded as delicacies of a high order, their relatives of 
the interior waters have been comparatively little utilized, at least 
under their proper names. It seems quite probable, however, that 
certain species of fresh-water terrapin have been rather widely used 
as an illegitimate substitute for the diamond-back terrapin. Within 
the last year or two a more general interest in the subject of the use 
of fresh-water turtles as food appears to have developed, and the 
Bureau has received many inquiries for information in regard to 
methods of capture of turtles and the preparation of their meat for 
the table. It is the aim of the present paper to supply answers to 
these inquiries, so far as the information is at present available. 
The data herein presented have been secured by the authors through 
correspondence with dealers in turtles and by personal visits to many 
markets in the larger and smaller cities of the Middle West and to 
various points of commercial fishery, principally on the Mississippi 
and Illinois Rivers. 

THE SNAPPING TURTLE. 
DISTRIBUTION AND HABITS. 

Commercially speaking, by far the most important species of the 
Mississippi Basin is the snapping turtle, Chelydra serpentina (Linn- 
seus) (Pis. I and II), known also in different localities and under 
different conditions as the snapper, mud turtle, and mossback. Its 
position in the market and in the consciousness of the people, the 
methods of its capture, and the like, are so closely bound up with 
its natural history that, in order to properly estimate its economic 
status, it is necessary to give in some detail the main facts regarding 
its habitat and habits. 



4 FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

In the first place, it has a broad geographic distribution, its range 
extending from Nova Scotia to the Equator and westward to the 
Rocky Mountains. It is, therefore, one of the most widely known of 
turtles ; and the New Englander who has migrated to the banks of the 
Wabash, the Ohio, or the Mississippi, or to the prairies of Illinois, 
recognizes it at once as an old acquaintance. This wideness of dis- 
tribution indicates a hardiness and an ability to live under greatly 
varying conditions. 

Not less important than its wide geographic distribution is its 
varied habitat. It is found in a great many different situations — 
in lakes, ponds, rivers, creeks, marshes, and bogs, and often travels 
overland a considerable distance from water. Only those familiar 
with the faunas of woodland ponds know the pretty, speckled tor- 
toise ; only the travelers along shaded creeks know Blanding's turtle ; 
and to those who dwell afar from the larger lakes and rivers the 
soft-shell is known, if at all, only through the medium of books or 
museums. There are few, however, to whom the snapping turtle 
is a complete stranger. 

In addition to its great variety of habitat, the leisurely habits of 
the snapper make it familiar. When approached it does not beat a 
hasty retreat, as do most other animals, but holds its ground against 
all comers. Many who are fairly familiar with the pond turtles 
and terrapin know them principally as a sudden splash from a log, 
and many who visit the sand bars where the soft-shells love to bask 
know them principally as a streak over the sand, as a splash at the 
water surface, and as a wake like that made by a big fish.- The snap- 
per, however, is the living embodiment of the status quo. He is will- 
ing to wait for the closest and most scrutinizing inspection; and, 
closely gazed upon, his appearance may have much to do with his 
being used as an article of food. One could not exactly call him 
handsome ; a better statement would be that he looks good enough to 
eat. His corpulent, bulging body, projecting in rolls from his inade- 
quate shell gives above all else the impression of meatiness. The 
rough skin, not greatly unlike that of a freshly plucked chicken, and 
the narrow cartilaginous bridge and small plastron all suggest easy 
preparation, much edible material, and little waste. 

All the other details about this species — manner of capture, the 
peculiarities of the market, and, finally, the methods of cooking — 
are, as will be observed, closely connected with its life history and 
habits. 

SEASONS AND METHODS OF CAPTURE. 

During the summer the snappers are rather unsocial. They are 
solitary in habits, the individuals being widely scattered, so that it is 
difficult to take an accurate census of them. Because of these solitary 
summer habits, there is, generally speaking, very little fishing for 
this species in that season. There may, of course, be local exceptions ; 
thus it was reported that throughout at least part of the summer of 
1913, along the Grand River, Mich., there was an active turtle fishery, 
both snappers and soft-shells being caught in seines and shipped to the 
large near-by cities, such as Detroit and Chicago. In general, how- 
ever, the summer is a dull season for turtles. One market man re- 
marked that "the turtle is like the oyster, only in season when the 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 5 

name of the months contains an ' r.' " Nearly all the other market men 
explained the situation by saying that "practically all the turtles are 
used for soups, and few people eat soups during hot "weather." The 
situation is perhaps a little more complicated ; it may have to do also 
with capture and storage. In summer occasional snappers are picked 
up while on their migrating trips ; a few are now and then caught on 
set lines; and fishermen sometimes catch them in their seines or in 
baited hoop nets set for fish. It is doubtful whether any of these 
occasional summer-caught snappers get into the general market. 
The greater number are released, and a few are locally consumed. 

During the autumn and early winter the snappers collect in con- 
siderable numbers and hibernate in suitable locations. In the vi- 
cinity of Muscatine, Iowa, it was stated that a favorite place for 
turtles to hibernate is in muskrat holes. According to report, as 
much as 5 tons of turtles have been taken from the various muskrat 
holes in one season. Our informant also stated that as many as 26 
individuals have been found in one muskrat burrow, while at another 
time 1,420 pounds were obtained in one run. From 500 to 1,000 
pounds of turtle were estimated as a recent catch for one day. 

Along the sloughs of the Mississippi they congregate about and 
under old logs. A specific instance was cited of a fisherman who 
obtained 20 snappers, weighing from 10 to 20 pounds each, under a 
log in one of the sloughs of the Mississippi River. 

Along the Illinois River, the Cedar River of Iowa, and, indeed, 
wherever there are springy places near large bodies of water, the 
snappers "mud up " for the winter. 

It is from their hibernating places that the greater number of 
snappers found on the market are taken, and the captors are usually 
fishermen or trappers. The methods of capture employed for the 
various forms of winter quarters — whether muskrat holes, old logs, 
or springy places — are all, so far as could be learned, very much the 
same. The implement used is a stout hook, made by bending an 
iron rod at one end, sharpening the short or hook end, and leaving the 
other as it is or driving it into a wooden handle to make it better to 
manipulate during very cold weather. If there is much ice, it is 
cut and the hook probed or prodded about until a turtle, which feels 
much like a chunk of wood, is encountered. It is then pulled out by 
the hook. It is somewhat difficult to land large turtles, although they 
are benumbed and offer little resistance. The turtle catchers rely 
upon their hunting instinct to discover the turtles, and when a good 
place is found many can be taken from it, as indicated in the account 
given above. 

Activity in snapper catching may be stimulated or depressed by 
widely different circumstances. The general wage scale probably 
has little influence, since fishermen and trappers are as much at- 
tracted by the fascination of their calling as by its emoluments and 
are not likely to desert their profession for a better-paying job. A 
high price for pelts and furs may divert greater attention to trap- 
ping. One fisherman said that the existence of saloons greatly 
helped the turtle market, as they dealt extensively in turtle soup. 
Under favorable conditions the turtle catcher can make very fair 
wages and still sell the meat at a reasonable price. During the 
winter of 1918-19 a market man reported : " Turtle meat is the 
cheapest meat I can buy." 



O FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

SHIPMENT AND STORAGE. 

Generally speaking, the men who catch the turtles make no 
attempt to hold or store them but ship them to market as soon as 
they can collect a sufficient quantity. 

The turtles are usually shipped in barrels with holes bored through 
the bottom and through the sides for ventilation and with burlap 
nailed over the top. In this condition, of course, the contents are 
not open for observation, and a thriving turtle fishery may be in 
active operation in a particular region unknown to the general 
public. Since barrels have become expensive, the catches are some- 
times shipped in crates similar to those used for chickens. 

Upon arrival at the larger markets the containers may simply be 
stored in a cool place, where the turtles will remain in hibernation, 
ready for disposal by wholesale or retail as the market demands. 
It is with the return of warm weather that the storage question be- 
comes important. 

A good many dealers do not attempt to hold turtles at all but 
pass them to the consumer as rapidly as possible. In the basement 
of a large wholesale market at Chicago, a cool moist situation, there 
is a large turtle pen, or, rather, a series of pens, which will hold 
about 2^ tons of the living animals. They do very well here until 
summer arives, wdien the loss is considerable. Here the snappers are 
washed off occasionally, but the problem of feeding them has not 
been satisfactorily solved. 

It might do much toward stabilizing the market if the intermedi- 
ate buyers along the rivers, in order to be ready for early fall deliv- 
ery, would establish large pounds to retain the spring catch, as well 
as the occasional turtles taken during the summer. It was stated 
that there was formerly a storage pen at Clear Lake, 111., where 
25,000 or 30,000 turtles could be satisfactorily kept; but that in 
recent years, owing to changed stream conditions, together with 
the consequent diminution in abundance of the animals, the pen 
has been abandoned. At Grafton, 111., a pound was observed which 
has been in existence about four years and which was originally 
designed to retain carp, as well as turtles and terrapin. It is located 
near the river and comprises a pond supplied by seepage from the 
river and by rainfall. The size of the pond varies, therefore, accord- 
ing to weather and stream conditions, but at the time observed its 
dimensions were about 207 by 135 feet. This pond, having banks 
of considerable steepness, occupies nearly the entire area of the pen. 
The walls are riprapped with stone and surmounted by a wire fence 
of 1-inch-square mesh. The pound was said to contain 4,000 or 
5,000 terrapin and 2 tons of snappers. It was observed at Grafton, 
as elsewhere, that quantities of terrapin are always estimated by 
number, and snappers by weight. Two kinds of terrapin were dis- 
tinguished ; the river terrapin described as " rough," which proved 
upon examination to be Graptemys lesueurii, and the " pond ter- 
rapin," described as " striped," which proved to be Pneuderays 
elegans. The former was regarded as much superior to the latter. 
During the summer, according to information furnished the authors, 
the turtles had been fed on fishery waste and on hog lights, of which 
they appeared to be very fond. They were being shipped to the 
markets of Boston and Philadelphia. 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES. ( 

SOURCES OF SUPPLY. 

Dealers at Chicago mentioned their source of supply as the Central 
States — Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, South Dakota, and 
Michigan — although they also received snappers and terrapin from 
Kentucky. Specific localities mentioned were Winona, Minn., and 
Guttenburg and Muscatine, Iowa. At "one time the Illinois Biver 
was an important source of supply during the winter, and parts of 
it, especially toward the mouth, continue to be so. Kofoid states : a 
" The Illinois River and its backwaters, under present conditions, 
contribute annually * * * 15,000 dozen turtles" (probably in- 
cluding both snappers and terrapin). During the progress of the 
investigation of the Upper Illinois in June, 1918, there was no fishing 
at all on account of the closed season on fishes and, naturally, no cap- 
ture of turtles. 

MARKET CONDITIONS AND PRICES. 

The amount of turtles handled by the markets of the large cities 
does not, of course, indicate the quantity which is consumed locally. 
As stated above, the winter is by far the most active market season. 
However, along the rivers the turtles are eaten the year around, 
whenever they can be obtained, fried soft-shells being especially con- 
sumed during the summer. The wholesale market in Chicago pre- 
viously referred to handles about 10,000 snappers a year, valued at 
$5,000. Its buyer thinks he could handle a ton a week. Another 
market handled 1 to 1^ tons a month. The snappers on the Chicago 
market range in weight from 5 to 25 pounds each. At Peoria they 
were said to reach a weight of 30 pounds, the average being 7 or 8 
pounds. According to the census of 1908, the Mississippi Eiver Basin 
produced 713,000 pounds of turtles and terrapin, with a value to the 
fishermen of $25,000. 

In these days of uniform prices for standard commodities ,a strik- 
ing feature of the turtle market is the variety of prices. A turtle 
catcher at Muscatine, Iowa, stated that he could get 5 cents a pound 
live weight or 10 cents a pound dressed at Davenport. He said there 
was more money selling them alh T e, as they dressed off more than 
half, and also the trouble of dressing them had to be considered. 
One dealer in Chicago sold in wholesale lots at 8 cents a pound and 
retailed at 10 cents. A buyer quoted them at 6 to 7 cents a pound 
live weight. At St. Louis it was said that "turtle meat is selling 
higher than ever before, it being now (June, 1918) about 18 cents; 
whereas it used to be from 12 to 15 cents a pound." 

A published commercial price list (Chicago, 1918) quoted live 
snapping turtles, usually 10 cents per pound, falling to 9 cents for the 
week of June 8, to 14, and rising to 11 cents July 20 to 26, 1918, and 
turtle meat, strictly fresh, 16 to 17 cents, rising during the progress 
of the summer. In the early part of the season frozen turtle meat 
was listed at 15 cents. 

Many of the points covered above regarding source of supply, 
prices, and amount handled can best be illustrated by quoting from 

"Kofoid C. A.: Plankton studies. IV. The plankton of the Illinois River, 1S94-1S99, 
p. 502. Bulletin, Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History, Vol. VI, 1901-1903, 
Art. II. Champaign. 



8 FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

a letter received June 4, 1918, from a fish company in La Crosse, Wis., 
which goes into the subject with unusual fullness of detail: 

We receive turtles from all of the commercial fishermen of the Mississippi. 
no one in particular fishing for them especially, as usually they are caught in 
such small lots that the average fisherman does not make much of an effort 
to gather them up. Usually the price this last year has been from 3 to 4 
cents, and, getting them in such small quantities, the fishermen figured not 
money enough in them to bother with them. 

We also get quite a few from the Indians who are moving about up and 
down the river. The general selling price has been (Philadelphia) from 7 
to 12 cents, the high price being in the extreme cold weather, and usually the 
wholesale price runs from 4| cents f. o. b. shipping stations, and the average 
quotation from the wholesale houses in Chicago and other places is from 7 to 

9 cents. 

The following is the amount that we have handled since November, 1917, and 
conditions were such that we have had to carry quite a lot of this stock on 
hand, as we were unable to sell it at all times or very readily : 

Pounds. 

November 13, 166 

December 2, 551 

January 1, 689 

February 90 

March 1, 496 

April 5, l!06 

May 5, 411 

Total 29, 609 

The demand has been diminishing from year to year. Ten years ago we 
used to handle them by the carloads and could always find a ready market in 
New York, whereas at present there is very little demand in New York ; in fact, 
practically none. 

The kind of turtle we are handling is what is known locally as the mud or 
snapping turtle. There is some demand for the • soft-shell turtles, but not 
enough to warrant our handling them. 

At Grafton, 111., it was stated that Boston afforded the best 
market for terrapin and Philadelphia for snappers. 

PROPORTION OF WASTE. 

In the consideration of any article to be used for food the item of 
waste is an important feature, since this must be accounted for 
somewhere between the producer, or in this case the captor, and the 
consumer. The opinion of dealers differed somewhat as to the 
amount of waste in the snapping turtle. It varies considerably ac- 
cording to the manner of cleaning. One dealer thought the turtles 
would dress off more than half, large ones dressing off less than 
small ones. Another thought a 12-pound turtle would dress off to 6 
pounds, and a 5-pound one to 3 pounds. A dealer at Fort Madison, 
Iowa, said that by discarding the shell they would dress off two- 
thirds, but that the shell could be used in making soup, serving as a 
soup bone. One dealer added that " in making soup the liver and 
eggs are used, so there is not so much waste." In the Washington 
market some snappers were seen dressed for sale. The epidermis hav- 
ing been scalded off, and the scutes or epidermal plates of the shell 
removed, the remaining portion presented a very attractive appear- 
ance. Along the backbone of the turtle is a considerable mass of 
flesh known as " tenderloin," which in rapid or " shop " cleaning is 
discarded with the shell, but in careful cleaning is saved, thus re- 
ducing the waste. At Pekin, 111., where turtles were cleaned rapidly, 
discarding tenderloin, liver, and eggs, as well as shell, a 11-pound 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 9 

snapper furnished 6 pounds of meat. At Fairport, Iowa, one which 
weighed 11 pounds produced 5^ pounds of meat when carefully 
dressed, with tenderloin saved, but shell, liver, etc., discarded. The 
relatively small difference in market prices between live turtles and 
turtle meat among practiced dressers and dealers (10 cents alive, 17 
cents dressed) does not account for so much waste, since one must 
also consider the labor of dressing the meat. 

In considering the subject of waste it may be of interest to com- 
pare turtles with other familiar objects, such as fish and poultry, 
which may be bought either whole or dressed to suit the wishes of 
the buyer. The proprietors of some of the fish markets on the 
Mississippi (Muscatine, Iowa, and New Boston 111.) and on the 
Illinois (Peoria), who have much experience weighing fish, since 
they buy them living from the fishermen and sell most of them 
dressed, were consulted in this regard, and their reports agreed 
very closely. Carp were reported to dress off about 30 per cent, or 
from 30 to 40 or 45 per cent, the higher percentages applying to the 
females full of roe, which is usually discarded. Buffalofish were re- 
ported to dress off somewhat less than carp. Catfish differ greatly, 
according to kind and condition, but dress off on the average 60 
pounds to the 100. At the Fairport biological station two ripe male 
carp weighting 5 pounds 8 ounces were dressed. The head, scales, 
and entrails weighed 1 pound 3 ounces and the milt 8 ounces, leav- 
ing the weight of the dressed fish 3 pounds 12 ounces, a waste of 
31.8 per cent. In looking through publications at hand devoted to 
poultry, under the subject of waste, cocks were reported to dress off 
23.4 per cent, cockerels 26 per cent, hens 24.2 per cent, and pullets 
25.8 per cent of the live weight. These wastes, of course, leave bones 
out of consideration. For fuller estimates and comparisons of the 
absolute amount of wastes of various fishes the reader is referred to 
a publication by Dr. W. O. Atwater, published as an appendix to the 
report of the United States Commissioner of Fisheries for 1880. a 
Unfortunately our data on the flesh of turtles are not in such a condi- 
tion that they can be compared with the fish discussed in that article. 

To one who has not watched the process it might appear that 
turtles would be difficult to dress. There is not nearly the labor 
involved in cleaning a snapper, however, that there is in plucking 
and dressing a chicken, and a novice would acquire the knack even 
more quickly with the reptile than with the fowl. The bones and 
joints are not so thoroughly ossified in the turtle and offer less 
resistance to the carver. Along with economical considerations it 
may be mentioned that one dealer remarked that " 8 pounds of 
turtle will make soup for 50 people." Another phase of the subject 
which has to do with economy, but which is more closely related 
to the subject of cooking, will be discussed in that connection. 

QUALITY OF FLESH. 

The value of turtle flesh as a food and the extent to which it can 
be used as a substitute for other meats is a question to be solved 

a Atwater. W. O. : Report of progress of an investigation of the chemical composition 
and economic values of the fish and invertebrates used for food. Appendix D, Report 
of the Commissioner, U. S. Commission of Fish and Fisheries, for 1SS0, pp. 231-286. 
Washington. 



10 FRESH- WATER TURTLES. 

by nutrition experts, by chemists who can compute its value in 
terms of calories, carbohydrates, proteins, digestibility, etc., and 
by experiments with " diet squads." This is fundamentally the most 
important question. Certain it is that the white and the deep-red, 
dressed meat as displayed in the fish markets is very attractive in 
appearance. 

Scarcely less important, however, is the question of its gustatory 
qualities; for whatever gives zest to our necessary foods is by no 
means to be despised. References in literature to the relative merits 
of different species of turtle are rather few. Nash a says of the 
common soft-shelled turtle {Amyda spinifem) : "The flesh of this 
turtle is considered a delicacy ; " and of the snappers : " Their flesh 
is considered good and in some localities they are much sought after 
for making into soup." 

The flavor of the snapper, like that of other sorts of game or 
meat, varies somewhat according to the habits of the individual 
animal and according to the method of preparation. Perhaps the 
best method of approach to this phase of the subject is a consideration 
of the habits of the turtle. 

The snapper is very voracious, feeding on frogs, fishes, crayfish, 
young water birds, etc. It has been accused of catching and eating 
young ducks. Those examined at Lake Maxinkuckee, Ind., had been 
eating snails (Vivipara contectoides) , and seven individuals exam- 
ined at the Pekin (111.) market, caught at Fort Madison, Iowa, in 
June, 1918, contained solid masses of mud. Two had fragments of 
crayfish in the mud, one a piece of wood, and another the bones of a 
frog. A large one caught at Fairport, Iowa, a good deal earlier 
in the season had its stomach practically empty. 

In the summer the snappers may be caught far from water, in 
grassy places, or in mudholes and puddles, and those caught in one 
place would doubtless differ in flavor from those caught in another. 
The turtle from the mud puddle would taste differently from the one 
caught on the grassy sward, just as beef from cattle and milk from 
cows grazing in a garlicky meadow differ from the products of a 
blue-grass pasture; just as the canvasback duck well fed on wild 
celery is the delight of epicures, while the same species feeding on 
the fetid Chara is as distasteful as any coot and the celery-fed coot 
excellent eating, and as a carp from a warm, muddy puddle is soft 
and rank, while one from a cool clear stream or pond is firm and 
excellent. Doubtless, the hibernating turtles taken from their winter 
quarters have approached a uniformity of flavor. 

Still, taking the snapper by and large, it is sufficient to say that it 
has been exceedingly difficult to find, either spoken or printed, any 
words of disparagement. At Lake Maxinkuckee, it is true, the opin- 
ion was expressed that old snappers have a rank flavor and are 
tough; but the animals were there taken in summer from the beds 
of fetid Chara, which, when fed upon, will give even the choicest 
waterfowl a rank flavor. In addition to this, they naturally haunted 
the muddier parts of the lake, and, as has been said, subsisted on 
snails. Also, the delicious soft-shells were very abundant in that 
region, and the snapper would naturally suffer by comparison. In 

° Nash, C. W. : Manual of the vertebrates of Ontario. Published by Dent, of Education, 
Toronto. 1908. 



FEESH- WATER TURTLES. 11 

most other places the snapper met with praise on every hand. Many 
had eaten no other kind of turtle but snapper, and it was liked in 
a great variety of ways. 

In many respects, indeed, the eating of turtles may be well com- 
pared to the consumption of mushrooms. They are iooked upon as 
a viand rather than as a food. Unknown or untried kinds are re- 
garded with suspicion. The flesh of the box turtle is reported on 
pretty good authority to be unwholesome, and one man along the 
Mississippi asserted, but probably without reliable evidence, that"" the 
striped turtles are poisonous." The general use of the snapper is much 
like that of the morel, or sponge mushroom. Persons who eat turtle 
at all eat this particular kind because they know it and are not so 
certain about the others. Those who had had experience with vari- 
ous sorts of turtles would always compare the snapper with other 
species. Some, but rather few, and these usually people fond of a 
pronounced gamy flavor, liked the snapper best. One man inter- 
viewed said : " The meat of the snapper is more like beef, while that 
of the soft-shell is more like chicken." An almost universal opinion 
was that the snapper contains several kinds of meat. One man said 
it contains 6 or 7 kinds; another, 7 to 9 kinds; and still another, 1± 
kinds. 

The living snapper has a somewhat musky odor, but this may dis- 
apj^ear or be diluted to a pleasant aroma by cooking, since no one 
complained of it. The meat of old snappers is said to be rather 
tough. One man said it was rendered stringy by cooking too long, 
and in making soup should be cooked only until the flesh left the 
bones. It may, indeed, be these two qualities — gaminess and tough- 
ness — that have made the snapper preeminently a soup turtle. Per- 
sons who discussed the matter of turtle soups asserted that " all turtle 
soups are really vegetable soups in which turtle takes the place of 
other kinds of meat." Some of these soups are highly spiced and 
flavored. One dealer reported that " restaurants are the only ex- 
tensive users of turtles, and the snapper is used only for soup, which 
is not in much demand during hot weather." In the markets of the 
large cities there is little or no family buying of turtles, and the 
citizen who is accustomed to buying live chickens and either having 
them delivered or carnung them home would not think of doing 
the same with a snapper. Even the dressed meat is rarely bought 
for individual or family use. In the small river towns, however, 
there is more individual buying and a greater number of methods of 
cooking are in vogue. In one instance, at Pekin, 111., when a half 
barrel of snappers, 10 in number, was received, 7 were immediately 
dressed for local sale. Usually, hoAvever, the people prefer soft-shells 
when they can get them. 

THE ALLIGATOR SNAPPER. 

The alligator snapper, Macrochel/ys temmincki (Harlan), which 
is found principally in the southern part of the United States, is 
similar in general habits to its smaller and more northern relative, 
the common snapper. It is especially abundant in the swamps of 
Louisiana, where an active fishery is carried on at certain seasons. 
It reaches an immense size, examples weighing as much as 219 



12 FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

pounds having been reported. Its sale is confined chiefly to southern 
markets. As it is too large to ship in barrels, it is prepared for ship- 
ment by drilling holes with a breast drill through the edge of the 
upper and lower shells on each side of the neck and feet, running 
wires through and fastening it so that the head and legs can not be 
protruded. The shell of one reported to have been taken at Han- 
nibal, Mo., was seen by the senior author in St. Louis. The turtle 
was reported to have weighed 27 pounds. 

THE FRESH-WATER TERRAPINS. 
COMMERCIAL SIGNIFICANCE. 

Within the Mississippi Basin the Avord " terrapin " is either a 
book name or a commercial term applied by market men to such of 
the hard-shelled turtles as find their way into the trade. Along the 
upper Mississippi and Illinois Rivers the only terrapin likely to be 
used is the Le Sueur terrapin, Graptemys Icsueurii (Pis. Ill and 
IV). Along the upper Illinois a turtle, which from the description 
was supposed to be this, was referred to as the " Genetta." In the 
fish markets at Chicago lots of Le Sueur's terrapin and the elegant 
terrapin, Pseudemys elegans (Wied) (Pis. V and VI), were mixed 
together in barrels, no market distinction being made between them. 
Some of the elegans were said to be from Memphis, and they were 
called " Texas terrapin." In the turtle pen on the lower Illinois 
(Grafton) elegans was about as common as lesueurii, and was known 
as the " pond terrapin," the other species being the " river terrapin." 
At St. Louis the only terrapin seen at the opening of the turtle season 
in autumn was elegans. At Grafton lesueurii was the most highly 
esteemed of the two. Throughout the area under discussion there 
is another terrapin, the map turtle, Graptemys geographica (Le 
Sueur), so very similar to the Le Sueur terrapin that anyone but a 
specialist (and this includes both zoologist and fisherman) is likely 
to confuse them. The map turtle is probably as good as the others, 
but we saw none on the market. It apparently does not reach so 
large a size, however, and this may help explain its absence. 

Exceedingly few terrapin are used even by the dwellers along the 
rivers, who are familiar with all sorts of aquatic food. This is prob- 
ably due, not to their lack of excellence, but to the abundance and 
well-known qualities of the snappers and soft-shells, which have the 
additional advantage of larger size. The stimulus to the capture and 
sale of the terrapin, which is as yet rather feeble, comes from a 
demand in eastern cities, such as Philadelphia and Baltimore, where 
the diamond-back has been long known and esteemed and where 
the transition to other terrapin is easy. Along the Mississippi one 
man, an old fisherman who had at one time been a restaurant pro- 
prietor and famous for his cookery, said that they were most excel- 
lent eating. One of the fish dealers on the Illinois River said that 
terrapin is as good as the soft-shell, and each when fried is superior 
to chicken similarly prepared. In the Chicago market, unlike the 
snapper, which is sold by the pound, the terrapin are quoted by 
the individual or by the dozen. At one market they were quoted at 
from 25 to 30 cents apiece, and a fair sample weighed 2 pounds 



FRESH- WATER TURTLES. 13 

and 11 ounces. Another dealer quoted them at 75 cents to $3 per 
dozen. 

Along the Illinois River a little more was learned about the 
terrapin market. No actual fishing was in progress, but a turtle buyer 
from Philadelphia had visited the various fish markets and had dis- 
tributed some information about its pecularities and market require- 
ments. He stated that the terrapin were used as a substitute, or par- 
tial substitute, for diamond-back, and that for this purpose the males 
were not desired. What was wanted was the egg-bearing or " queen " 
terrapin. (At the Washington market in the autumn of 1917, when 
the first western — Le Sueur's — terrapin were coming on the market, 
it was learned that one of the " egg terrapin " was mixed with several 
diamond-back to make " diamond-back soup.") The river fishermen 
were unable to distinguish the sexes; but the Philadelphia buyer 
could do so, and readily picked out the "queens" from a lot of 
terrapin at hand, discarding the rest. During the summer of 1918 
" queen " terrapin were being quoted at that place at $1 each. At 
St. Louis, in October, is was learned that the market men there dis- 
tinguished the female of at least Pseudemys elegans by its much 
longer claws. There was no opportunity to verify this by dissection ; 
but some of the turtles — a numerically small proportion of those at 
hand — had much longer and sharper claws than the others, and 
there was no marked intergradation in this respect. This may be a 
correlation with their habit of digging for the purpose of laying 
their eggs. The long-clawed terrapin, assumed to be females, also 
generally exhibited a different marking on the under side of the 
plastron. Late in the autumn (1918) a barrel of elegant terrapin, 
a few individuals of which possessed exceedingly long, sharp claws, 
was noted at Chicago. 

Both at Chicago and St. Louis the market men reported that the 
only local buyers of terrapin were the Chinese, who are also buyers 
of the diamond-back shipped from the east. One of the proprietors 
of a fish market stated that the Chinese used the terrapin chiefly 
medicinally, "to clear the blood," and that by calling at a Chinese 
restaurant designated by him further information and a recipe could 
be secured. Upon visiting the place a very accommodating Chinese 
chef furnished the following information: "Turtles are good for 
internal troubles, for the blood, and especially for tuberculosis. 
They are cooked together with herbs imported from China and for 
which there is no English name. According to one recipe, the bones 
of the turtle are removed and the under part of the shell is boiled 
two or three hours with the skeleton of a duck. According to 
another, the meat is boiled in a double boiler with strong alcoholic 
wines, whisky, gin, etc." He added that he partakes of turtle in 
this manner only a few times in a year, when he feels in need of a 
tonic, stating that it makes him feel like a new man. Diamond-back 
terrapin was said to be the best turtle to use for this tonic, but, as 
it is very expensive, the hard-shell turtle, " Texas terrapin," is used 
as a substitute. Both from the remarkable similarity of the last 
given recipe to that of ordinary diamond-back-terrapin soup, and, 
from the statement of a native of China that the people of that 
country do not eat turtle, we are inclined to suspect that the use of 
terrapin is an American extension of the native bill of fare. 



14 FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

The most probable reason for the exceedingly limited use, one 
might almost say the nonuse, of the terrapin within the Mississippi 
Basin is the unfamiliarity with them. They rarely stray any dis- 
tance from considerable bodies of water and are not often seen by 
the general population. To the frequenters of river and lake shores 
they are, however, the most commonly seen of turtles. 

Other features that have prevented their coming into use are 
their relatively small size, 2 pounds being about the average, and the 
amount and hardness of shell, making the percentage of meat rela- 
tively small and difficult to get at. So long as there is a great 
abundance of other forms of game and fresh food the only reason for 
resorting to them would be the superior flavor of the flesh, and they 
would be sought after as luxuries rather than necessities. Their 
appeal would be to the taste rather than to the satisfaction of hunger. 
There is, of course, the deep-seated feeling that nothing common can 
be a luxury, as is indicated by the old contracts that servants should 
not be fed shad too frequently and by the fable about the farmer 
and crayfishes. 

That the terrapin is of excellent flavor would appear from the 
testimony of those who have tried it and from the fact that it can be 
successfully substituted for the diamond-back. As a rule, it inhabits 
clean waters. The different species of terrapin differ in their food 
and feeding habits, and doubtless in their flavor, to a corresponding 
degree. 

METHODS OF CAPTURE. 

Because of their habits, the manner of the capture of the terrapin 
is entirely different from that of the snapper. They do not crowd 
together in hibernating places during the winter and can not, there- 
fore, be taken in numbers during that season, as the snappers are. 
In the summer they are gregarious, crowding together in great 
numbers on projecting logs and banks. They can be easily taken in 
traps, a number and variety of which are known along the Illinois 
River. By simply sinking a box in a place full of snags and brush, 
a goodly number of terrapin will manage to drop in. A fish dealer 
reported that one man had a waterproof box sunk in water by weight- 
ing it with stones. He visited it daily, removing 30 to 40 turtles. 
Another form consisted simply of a' box with an inclined board for 
a slide leading up to it. The turtles climbing up the slide to bask 
crowded the end ones into the box. A still more complicated form 
had the slide so placed on a pivot that if one or more turtles got 
beyond the pivot and overbalanced the lower end they were clumped 
into the box. The success with which an old sunken boat on a bar 
in Lake Maxinkuckee was observed to catch terrapin indicates the 
effectiveness of any of these devices. The gunwale of the boat would 
be crowded with the basking terrapin ; and upon an3^one's approach 
they would plump at once into the water, about half of them landing 
in the boat. The boys in the region, out of sport, caught 50 or 60 
of the animals in one afternoon in this manner. 

A method used in trapping the " slider," a species of terrapin in 
the southeastern part of the United States, doubtless would also 
prove efficacious. A projecting log is chosen and a heavily leaded 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 15 

net placed entirely around it, except at the lower or entering end. 
The turtles climbing up on the log to bask keep pushing the foremost 
one off, and, if anyone approaches, all but one or a few at the lower 
or entering end of the log drop into the net. By this means great 
numbers can readily be taken. 

SHIPMENT, STORAGE, AND MARKETING. 

The shipment, storage, and marketing of the terrapin are the same 
as that of the snapper, except that, as has been said, practically all 
are sent to eastern markets. In the local markets they are sold by 
the individual or by the dozen instead of by weight. 

THE SOFT-SHELL TURTLES. 

Among the possible aquatic resources of the country an important 
place is occupied by the soft-shell turtles, of which there are two 
common species — the spiny, or common, soft-shell, Amy da spini- 
fera (Le Sueur) (Pis. VII and VIII), and the smooth soft-shell, 
or leatherback, Amy da mutica (Le Sueur). These turtles are gener- 
ally northern in their distribution. They are confined chiefly to the 
larger streams and lakes and are therefore rather unfamiliar objects 
to the general population. They never stray far from the water's 
edge and are very timid in disposition, taking to the water with 
exceeding swiftness when alarmed, so that even those who spend a 
great deal of time along rivers and lakes rarely get a very good view 
of uncaptured specimens. They are gregarious, assembling in con- 
siderable numbers on banks and sand bars. 

COMMERCIAL SIGNIFICANCE. 

The soft-shell turtles are seldom found in the markets. None was 
seen in the Washington market nor in Chicago, where it was re- 
ported that "they could not be given away, much less sold.' , And 
yet, where well known, the soft-shell is regarded as the most delicious 
of turtles. It is, indeed, a species of soft-shell turtle which is reared 
in Japan, much as the diamond-back terrapin is beginning to be 
raised in this country. 

One reason for the absence or rarity of soft-shell turtles on the 
market is that they are too little known at the great market centers 
and too well known at the place of capture. No general demand 
has been created, and no special efforts are made to capture them. 
Numbers are incidentally caught by various forms of fishermen's 
gear, such as set lines, seines, and hoop nets, especially baited " fid- 
dler nets " (the nets used to catch channel catfish) . These inci- 
dentally caught turtles are not usually allowed to get beyond the 
fisheman who catches them ; they are consumed mostly in the imme- 
diate locality where caught. In the small towns along the Missis- 
sippi and Illinois Rivers they are the favorite food turtles. The 
snappers are shipped to market and the soft-shells consumed locally. 
The dealers attribute their absence from the markets to several rea- 
sons. They do not stand shipment as well as other turtles, being of 
a more delicate nature. They are flatter and not so meaty as the 



16 FRESH- WATER TURTLES. 

snapper; so there is more waste. The soft-shells, therefore, rank 
with those " home-consumption " delicacies, the famous honey 
banana, the emerald-gem muskmelon, and the fall pippin apple, 
which are too good for the market place and can not retain their 
original flavor after passing through the hands of the middlemen. 
The fish dealer at one of the towns visited shipped out a barrel of 
snappers, but when visited later it was found that he had a goodly 
number of soft-shells on hand. " They do not get beyond me," he 
explained. 

The soft-shells are prized, not only for soup, but for frying; and 
for this purpose the younger individuals, weighing from 1 to 1^ 
pounds, are preferred. In making soup the shell may either be used 
or discarded. 

The soft-shell loves the clear water over sandy bottoms and 
prefers a good current. Its principal food, to judge from a few 
specimens examined, consists of crayfishes. Both its habits and habi- 
tat are therefore conducive to an excellent flavor of flesh. 

METHODS OF CAPTURE. 

On account of their habits, the soft-shells can not be taken in 
quantities by the methods used for either the snapper or terrapin. 
They are gregarious, like the terrapin, but, as a general thing, they 
do not seek elevated positions in basking, any good sand bar proving 
satisfactory. They would not drop in numbers into boxes, and they 
do not " mud up " in large numbers, as do the snappers during the 
winter. They are rather hard to get in an ordinary seine. During 
the summer of 1907 several hundred were seen basking on one of the 
sand bars of the upper Mississippi not far below St. Paul. The sand 
bar was surrounded by a long net, with the expectation of bagging 
several barrels of turtles. These all took to the water and the net 
was drawn in. Only two turtles were obtained, the net having 
passed over the others, which had, no doubt, simply flattened down 
close to the bottom. 

As previously stated, most of the soft-shells are captured inci- 
dentally on set lines or in hoop nets operated for fish. They can 
readily be caught in baited hoop nets, and one fisherman said that it 
was easier to get them, when desired, than it was to capture snappers. 
The nets must be visited at least every 12 hours, especially in warm 
weather, as the imprisoned turtles soon drown. Prof. Jacob 
Reighard in Ward and Whipple's " Fresh-water Biology," page 66, 
gives the following description of a turtle net : a 

Turtles are best taken in a turtle net, which is a form of fyke net. It should 
be of heavy twine and coarse mesh and, if it is desired to keep the turtles alive, 
should be modified as follows : The terminal section of the pot is made cy- 
lindrical or the whole pot may be made with square hoops. A circular opening 
is cut in the upper side of the terminal section of the pot and to this is attached 
the lower end of a cylinder of netting which extends to the water's surface. 
The upper end of this cylinder is attached to an opening cut in one side of a 
wooden box, provided on the opposite side with a hinged lid fastened with a 
hasp. The box is supported at the surface of the water on poles set in the 
bottom. When turtles reach the terminal section of the pot, they are able to 

"Reighard, Jacob: Methods of collecting and photographing. Chap. Ill of Fresh- 
water Biology, by Henry B. Ward and George C. Whipple. John Wiley & Sons, New 
York, 1918. 



\ 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 17 

enter the box through the cylinder of netting and are thereby saved from 
drowning, which would ensue if they could not reach the air. They may be, 
removed through the lid at the convenience of the collector. 

SHIPMENT. 

In the upper Mississippi and in some of the glacial lakes in the 
northern part of our country the soft-shell is exceedingly abundant 
and if made use of would offer a considerable amount of meat to the 
inhabitants of those regions. The market men say that it can be 
beheaded and rough cleaned — that is, with just the viscera removed — 
and shipped on ice. In this condition it keeps as well as fish similarly 
treated. Frozen, they say, it remains in perfect condition and is as 
good when thawed as when fresh. Handled in this maimer, it could, 
if there were a sufficient demand, furnish a considerable meat supply 
to a large area. 

Taking the country at large, the turtles are much more scarce than 
formerly. From along the upper Illinois River comes the complaint 
that the turtles, especially appreciated there, are " becoming very 
scarce " or " practically exterminated " and that the local market de- 
mand is greater than the supply. This exhaustion is attributed to 
the draining of the feeding areas of the turtles and the building of 
levees. The State law of Illinois protects both turtles and terrapin 
of any size under a 7-inch shell. All that has saved the turtle to this 
day is probably the fact that it has remained more or less unap- 
preciated. 

ENEMIES OF TURTLES. 

In spite of the various means with which nature has endowed the 
turtles for their welfare — the protecting shell of all of them; the 
timid disposition of the terrapin, which prevents them from wander- 
ing afar from safety and causes them to drop into the water at the 
first sign of alarm; the inconspicuous colors of most of them; the 
timidity and swiftness of the soft-shells; and the longevity of such 
as have passed the vicissitudes of early life — they are subject to many 
clangers and, on the whole, seem to be scarcely holding their own. 
A good many young appear to perish during the first winter. Musk- 
rats kill a few of the smaller species, but do not appear to molest 
those of larger size. Leeches often accumulate on turtles in con- 
siderable numbers, and, though they may never directly kill them, 
they doubtless greatly lessen their vitality. In the Japanese breeding 
establishments old turtles devour their young, and this may oc- 
casionally happen in nature. Doubtless carnivorous animals often 
dig up the nests and devour the eggs, as one often finds eggs scattered 
about and evidence of digging where the turtles make their nests. 

By far one of the most important enemies is man. Fishermen 
finding turtles in their nets or on hooks often kill and discard them,, 
instead of either releasing or using them. Many persons make it 
a practice to rob turtle nests by the wholesale, either for so-called 
sport or to use their eggs for fish bait. By digging into the sand 
bars used for nesting places hundreds of eggs can be taken and de- 
stroyed in a short time. Many turtles, especially soft-shells, are 
drowned in hoop nets used by fishermen. 

178909°— 20 2 



18 FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

PREPARATION OF TURTLES FOR THE TABLE. 
KILLING THE TURTLE. 

Notwithstanding the formidable appearance offered by the shell, 
the killing and dressing of turtles is a comparatively easy matter, 
and the men at the fish markets soon become expert at it and can 
kill and clean them with surprising rapidity. The first step is to 
get the animal to protrude its head. In the case of the snapper, this 
is easily accomplished by presenting to its head a stick of suitable 
size for the reptile to snap. It takes tenacious hold, and the head 
can readily be pulled out. The heads of the other species may be 
made to protrude by applying pressure, as with the foot, to the back 
or upper part of the shell. After the neck is well stretched out the 
turtle can readily be decapitated. At fish markets, where many 
turtles are dressed, the cleaners usually have a killing plank with 
a sharpened spike driven through at an angle, and the spike is thrust 
through the chin during the process of stretching. 

Once beheaded, a sharp knife is run around the edges of the skin 
where it joins the shell and the skin pulled back over the legs to the 
feet, which are then disjointed. The lower part of the shell or 
plastron is then removed by cutting through the bridges which 
join the upper and lower shells, cutting close to the lower part of 
the shell. With snappers and soft-shells, in which the bridges are 
rather soft and cartilaginous, this can be done with a sharp knife. 
With the terrapin the bridge may be cut with a hatchet or saw. 
Having cut the bridges, the plastron or under shell may be readily 
removed by inserting a sharp knife just under it and lifting it off. 
This done, the entrails may be extracted with very little trouble, and 
the four quarters easily taken out from the carapace or upper shell. 
If one wishes to save the tenderloin in the upper part or "ceiling" 
of the carapace, the ribs may be cut with a hatchet. To the reader 
this may appear to be a lengthy and complicated process; but, as 
stated above, it is a simpler process than killing, plucking, and dress- 
ing a chicken. 

A visit to a place where turtles are being dressed by professionals 
would prove very instructive. It need hardly be said that each has 
his own method as regards the smaller details. Some cut off the 
feet before skinning; others skin down to the feet and then dis- 
joint. Some even cut off the feet before decapitation, but this is un- 
necessarily cruel. The smaller turtles and terrapin are often killed 
by dropping the living animal into boiling water just as lobsters 
and crayfishes are killed. This is a convenient method and not 
especially cruel, as death is practically instantaneous. With a large 
kettle the same method might be used for the soft-shell and snapper. 

RECIPES. 

Doubtless one reason for the general nonuse of turtles for food 
is the lack of knowledge as to just how to prepare them for the 
table and the lack of experience with turtles properly cooked. To 
meet this deficiency, the following recipes, which have been obtained 
from various available sources, are offered. A few have been gleaned 
from cookbooks, but most of them have been procured from per- 



FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 19 

sons noted locally for their preparation of turtles. Special thanks 
are due to Henry Lemm, of Pekin, 111., and to Mrs. Saunders, of 
the Saunders Fish Market, St. Louis, Mo., for choice recipes. 



These recipes apply especially to the snapper, which is the great soup turtle 
of the Mississippi Basin. 'They could, doubtless, be applied to terrapin and 
soft-shell also, as they are as good for soups as the snapper. 

In making soups, cook the turtle only until the bones leave the flesh. Many 
cook too long, which makes the flesh stringy. 

1. Turtle soup. — A favorite way to cook snapper is to make the soup like 
old-fashioned beef soup, with any assortment of vegetables desired, with the 
turtle meat cut up into small pieces. 

2. Turtle soup — Make up a soup stock, without vegetables, but add egg. 

3. Turtle chowder. — One-half pound turtle meat, 2 medium-sized potatoes. 3 
onions, 3 carrots, any other vegetables wanted, as parsley, all diced into the 
pot ; add V± pound of salt pork diced, 1 teaspoonful pepper, 1 level teaspoonful 
of butter, and cook about 2 hours over a slow fire. This is fine, a regular 
turtle chowder. With soft-shell turtle cut up the shell also, and cook for 4 
hours. 

4. Soft-shell turtle soup. — Use turtle meat same as for beef soup, adding a 
slice of bacon and onion to modify the flavor. (Soft-shell turtle meat is also 
good with noodles.) 

5. Turtle soup & la Creole. — This is the ancient recipe for turtle soup, and 
it is safe to say that when once eaten after this delightful way no other will 
seem quite so savory. Cut the turtle meat into small pieces. Let it brown 
in a pot with a little lard, cut up several onions, a slice of ham, and a little 
garlic, and stir and mix with the turtle meat. Then let the mixture brown 
well. Put in some flour and mix, pour a quantity of the soup stock into the 
pot, let it cool, and add a knee joint of veal. Let it simmer for an hour, then 
put in some thyme, laurel leaf, parsley, shallots, and when everything is cooked 
add more parsley and a couple of slices of lemon chopped fine. Just before serv- 
ing add a wineglassful of Madeira wine, or, in lieu of this, % that amount of 
lemon juice. 

6. Terrapin soup. — Use the meat and eggs from 1 terrapin, put into a stew- 
pan with 2 tablespoonfuls of butter, and let it simmer until quite hot through- 
out, keeping the pan closely covered. Serve with the following sauce : 1 beaten 
egg yolk flavored with nutmeg and mace, y 2 cup currant jelly, 1 pinch of 
cayenne, salt to taste, 1 tablespoonful of butter. 

FRIED TURTLE. 

Although the turtles generally preferred for frying are medium-sized soft- 
shells weighing from l 1 ^ to 3 pounds, many like fried snapper. For frying, the 
younger and more tender snappers are to be preferred, although the older ones 
can be used by cooking correspondingly longer. 

7. Fried turtle. — Cut the turtle meat into small pieces, add salt and pepper, 
roll in flour, and fry in one-half lard and one-half butter until brown, then 
add a little water, cover up, and steam until done (about V 2 hour). 

8. Fried, turtle. — Fry as above; when browned add some catsup, a few mixed 
spices, a glass of wine, or, in lieu of this, 2 tablespoonfuls of vinegar and a 
little water ; cover, and steam until done (about % hour). 

9. Fried turtle. — Some cooks prefer to fry dry, without steam; in this case 
one must cook slowly, and of course old turtles must be cooked longer than 
young ones. 

10. Fried turtle. — Simply parboil the turtle meat and fry in butter. 

11. Fried turtle. — Put the turtle meat into salt water for a short time, re- 
move and wipe dry, sprinkle with corn meal, and fry in hot grease, or use 
butter, salt, and pepper, and thicken with barley. (The person who furnished 
this recipe generally preferred snapper to other turtles, and had this species 
in mind.) 

12. Fried snapper. — Put the turtle meat into salt water overnight, take out, 
wipe dry, sprinkle with flour, and fry in plenty of grease. Fry slowly until 
brown. This is said to be better than fried chicken. For this old turtles are 
said to be as good as young. 



20 FRESH-WATER TURTLES. 

MISCELLANEOUS. 

The following recipes were obtained at St. Louis and apply to the native 
turtles used there. They were meant to apply especially to the snapper ; it is 
believed, however, that they could be applied to the more delicate soft-shell, 
where procurable, with even better results. 

13. Steamed turtle, — Take fresh turtle meat, fill with black pepper and a bit 
of butter, steam until the flesh separates from the boftes, then add black sauce 
(the soy-bean sauce to be found in Chinese restaurants) or Worcestershire 
sauce. 

14. Turtle cutlet, — Take lean turtle meat, pound until like hamburger steak, 
dip into egg, roll in meal, and fry in hot fat. This tastes like veal cutlet. 

15. Simmered turtle, — Take 1 pound turtle meat, wash, cut into cubes, brown 
in fat (lard or butter) with 1 large or 2 medium-sized onions, simmer until 
tender, add Chili pepper while simmering. To serve, pour over boiled rice. 

16. Curry of turtle. — Take 1 pound of turtle meat, brown as above, with 1 
large or 2 medium-sized onions. Put into the pot 1 medium-sized potato, 1 
carrot, the onions which have been cooked with the turtle, a small piece of 
parsley, % teaspoonful of pepper, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and y 2 teaspoonful of 
curry powder. Add the browned turtle meat to the mixture in the pot and let 
simmer until tender. Make molds by hollowing out cups of boiled rice and 
serve in the molds. This tastes like curry of chicken or curry of veal. 

17. Turtle rivola, — (a) One-half pound turtle meat, best chopped through 
a food chopper, add 2 onions, cook until tender, add % pound of cheese and 
salt and pepper. 

(6) Take 1 cup flour, 1 egg, % teaspoonful salt, make a thick batter, roll out 
thin into a sheet of noodle dough, and cut into 2-inch dice. 

(c) Take 1 spoonful of minced turtle meat, lay on the diced noodle dough, 
fold over 3 corners and inclose the meat, cook like noodles in the water that 
the turtle meat was cooked in, to which a spoonful of butter has been added. 

18. Turtle sausaye. — Cook 2 pounds of turtle meat until tender, run through 
a food chopper, add 2 eggs, drop into hot fat or fry right off the spoon until 
brown. 

While the following recipe was originally intended to apply to the diamond- 
back terrapin, it would doubtless serve very well for the fresh-water species, 
and possibly for snapper or soft-shell turtle also : 

19. Steioed terrapin with cream" — Place in a saucepan 2 tablespoonfuls of 
butter and 1 of rice flour, stir over a fire until it bubbles, then stir in a pint 
of thin cream, 1 tablespoonful salt, % tablespoonful white pepper, % table- 
spoonful grated nutmeg, and a very small pinch of cayenne, next put in 1 pint 
of terrapin meat, and stir it all until scalding hot. Move saucepan to back 
part of stove, where contents will keep hot, but not boil, then stir in 4 well- 
beaten yolks of eggs. Do not boil, but pour immediately into tureen contain- 
ing 1 tablespoonful lemon juice. Serve hot. 

<■ From the " White House Cook Book." 

o 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 



Plate I. 





SNAPPING TURTLE, CHELYDRA SERPENTINA (LINNAEUS). 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 889. 



PLATE I I , 




SNAPPING TURTLE, CHELYDRA SERPENTINA (LINNAEUS). 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 8S9. 



Plate III. 




LE SUEUR TERRAPIN, GRAPTEMYS LESUEURII. 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 



Plate IV. 




LE SUEUR TERRAPIN, GRAPTEMYS LESUEURII. 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 



Plate V. 




ELEGANT TERRAPIN, PSEUDEMYS ELEGANS. 



V. S. B. F.— Doc. 



Plate VI. 




ELEGANT TERRAPIN, PSEUDEMYS ELEGANS. 



U.S. B. F.— Doc. 



Plate VII. 




SOFT-SHELL TURTLE, AMYDA SPINIFERA. 



U. S. B. F.— Doc. 889. 



PLATE VIII. 




SOFT-SHELL TURTLE, AMYDA SPINIFERA. 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 



014 358 956 • 



